Electrical connecter



Dec. 6, 1938.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Filed Jan. 25, 1936 Inventor": William R. Young,

is Attorney.

w. R. bum 2,139,535

iii

Patented Dec. 6, 1938' PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTER William' R.Young, Fair-field, comt, assignor m General Electric Company, a.corporation oi.

New York Application January 25, 1936; Serial No. 60,867

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to electrical connecters of the typehaving a body of insulating material and a metal terminal which is.forced into the body and frictionally held therein.

The object of my invention is to provide an electrical connecter of thistype'having an improved arrangement for securing the terminal to thebody, and for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and myinvention attention is directed to the following description and theclaims appended thereto.

.In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a metalterminal used in a connecter embodying my invention; Fig. '2 is asectional elevation on line 2-2 of Fig. 3 showing one of the terminalsin place; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the connecter shown in Fig. 2;and Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on line ii-ii of Fig.2.

For convenience my invention is illustrated as applied to an attachmentplug cap comprising a body or cap l of suitable insulating material suchas molded artificial resin and a pair of terminal bladesZ which projectfrom the face 3 of the cap. The cap is provided with a central conductorreceiving opening 6 which extends longitudinally through the cap. On theface 3 of the cap are two bosses 5 each having three cylindricalcavities 6 molded therein.

The terminal blade 2 which is made from a flat piece of metal isprovided. at one end with a contact engaging portion 1 and at the otherend with a pair of prongs 8 which are adapted to be forced into two ofthe cavities 6 in one of the bosses 5 of the cap. The terminal blade isprovided with an ear 9 which extends over the-third cavity 6 when theprongs are forced into the other two cavities. The ear 9 isprovided-with a threaded hole l into which is threaded a terminal screwii for attaching'a conductor to the terminal blade The cavity below thethreaded hole l0 provides a clearance hole for the terminal screw.

The prongs 8 are V-shaped as shown in Figs.

' l, 3, and 4, and when the prongs are forced into the cavities B theprongs contact the cavities at the edges of the prongs and at the pointM of the V. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the sharp cornered edges l3 onthe prongs cut into the sides of the cavities and are in tightengagement with the cavities. The tightness of engagement of the edgesof the prongs with the cavities is increased by the force exerted on thepoint of the V which tends to force the edges of the prongs laterallyinto engagement with the side walls of the cavities. The section of theprongs, which may be described as curved or arch-shaped, is such thatcompressive forces exerted on the edges of the prongs tend to flex theportions of the prongs intermediate the edges. This means that when theprongs are in place, the resilience of the prongs tends to keep theedges of the prongs in tight engagement withthe cavities. Also theresilience of the prongs limits the force between the prongs and thecavities and thereby prevents 10 breaking the side walls of the cavitiesas the prongs are inserted. Another advantage of this prong constructionis that the prongs contact the cavities along three points and therebyare more accurately centered in the cavities. ing of the terminal bladesis further assisted by the fact that the Vs of the prongs on eachterminal face in opposite directions. From another aspect, the V's ofthe prongs face opposite sides The centerof a center line connectingthefcavities 6. With terminal having a prong forced into said cavity andfrictionally held therein, said'prong being of substantially archedsection and contacting the cavity at its edges and at only one pointintermediate its edges, the sides of the arch on either side of saidpoint being flexed by the pres- Sure exerted on its edges whereby theedges will be forced into tight engagement with the cavity.

2. An electrical connecter comprising a body of insulating materialhaving a pair of cavities therein, a terminal having a pair of prongsforced 40 into said cavities and frictionally held therein, said prongsbeing of arched section with the arches facing in opposite directions,each of said prongs contacting its cavity at its edges and at a pointintermediate its edges, the sides of the arch on either side of saidpoint being flexed by the pressure exerted on its edges whereby theedges are forced into tight engagement with the.

cavity. a

3. An electrical connector comprising a body of insulating materialhaving a cavity therein, a terminal having a prong forced into saidcavity and frictionally held therein, said prong'being of V-shapedsection and engaging said cavity at the point of the V and at the edgesof the prong and the sides of the V being flexed by the pressure exertedon its edges whereby the edges are forced into tightvengagement with thecavity. 4. An electrical connecter comprising a body of insulatingmaterial having a pair of cavities therein, a terminal having a pair ofprongs forced into said cavities and frlctionally held therein, saidprongs being of V-shaped section with the points of the Vs facing inopposite directions and each of said prongs engaging its cavity at itsedges and at the point of the V and the sides of the V being flexed bythe pressure exerted on its edges whereby the edges are forced intotight engagement with the cavity.

5. An electrical connecter comprising a body of insulating materialhaving a pair of cavities therein, a terminal having a pair of prongsforced into said cavities and frictionally held therein, said prongsbeing of arched section with the arches facing opposite sides of acenter line connecting the cavities, each of said prongs contacting itscavity at its edges and at a point intermediate its edges whereby theedges are forced into tight engagement with the cavity.

6. An electrical connecter comprising a body of insulating materialhaving a pair of cavities therein, a terminal having a pair of prongsforced into said cavities and frictionally held therein, said prongsbeing of V-shaped section with the points of the V's facing oppositesides of a center line connecting the cavities and each of said prongsengaging its cavity at its edges and at the point of the V.

WILLIAM R. YOUNG.

